Toyota Lexus push online sales, dealer only for delivery
#16
#17
Lexus Test Driver
as you know, i recently purchased a lexus. as you also know, i'm in florida, and i bought the car from a dealer in missouri (plaza lexus, recommended). They fedex'ed me a packet of about 10 pages to sign at a notary and return in their pre-paid fedex envelope. Piece of cake. So i never visited the dealer. I never test drove the car. I never met anyone from the dealer. Worked it all out via text, email, phonecalls, and finally signing those papers and wiring money. Not exactly complicated.
In this day and age, buyers are severely restricting their options for on-lot vehicles if they're not willing to buy remotely.
#18
Lexus Fanatic
I can understand dealer-only pickup. Normally, at a dealership, when you finalize a sale and/or take delivery, you have to sign dozens of forms. (I know....I just went through it again LOL). I wonder how you do that if or when when taking delivery at home?....I'm assuming that one of the Dealership's Finance Officers is not going to ride out with the vehicle, carry a suitcase full of forms, and sit at your dining room table with you while you put your John Hancock on all that paperwork.
That said, however, I have heard of cases of where new vehicles were delivered to private homes for delivery....so, apparently they have worked out some kind of alternate-system for all that paperwork, which we may (?) see more of in the future.
That said, however, I have heard of cases of where new vehicles were delivered to private homes for delivery....so, apparently they have worked out some kind of alternate-system for all that paperwork, which we may (?) see more of in the future.
When we got the Pacifica, I went in and drove it and negotiated the deal in person (which I usually don't do) and had them look at my 2017 Pacifica trade. Then they delivered the new van to my home, and brought all the paperwork. Its really not that much paperwork, especially for you since you didnt have a loan. I signed the paperwork on top of the trash can in my garage. Then he took the tag off the old one, put it on the new one, and drove the old one away. Easy peasy.
When I got the Mercedes I did it in the dealer, all the forms are electronic signature, I never signed one document by hand.
I mean, if people can buy and sell real estate remotely (and they do it with me every day) they can buy a car remotely.
Best part about signing the docs in my garage? No finance office, so no trying to sell me bull**** I don't need.
#19
Lexus Fanatic
#20
Lexus Fanatic
I of course always say no but sometimes they are VERY aggressive and I have had to get up to leave to get them to drop it. I havent had that experience when buying luxury cars, but the 2017 Pacifica I litertally told the woman if she said one more word about anything other than the finance paperwork I was done. She just would not quit. Being a salesman myself I am very tolerant of people trying to sell me things, but they often go way too far.
#21
Lexus Fanatic
#22
Lexus Fanatic
#23
Lexus Fanatic
Actually, no, they didn't "Get" me on that one. They included free washes with it....which is one thing I wanted. I'm getting too old for the constant Scrub-a-Dub routine from stem to stern, though I can still do it if I work slowly and take rests.
That's one area, BTW, where I disagreed with my brother. He likes those Nitrogen-tire-fill packages. IMO they are a waste of money.
#24
Lexus Fanatic
A lot of that depends on what the quality of the car washes are. No car dealership I’ve ever done business with washes a car the way I want a car washed, so I’d wind up not using them anyways.
Nitrogen is another one. Air is 78% nitrogen, makes no difference.
Nitrogen is another one. Air is 78% nitrogen, makes no difference.
#25
Lexus Fanatic
One reason I'm willing to use automated washes, though, today, where I didn't like them in the past, is that the highway crews don't dump sand on the roads any more in my area. That practice seems to be gone....today, it's salt, brine-stripes, or chemical de-icers.
Trust me....that sand and gravel was a real PITA. . It got up inside cracks, nooks, wheel wells, mirror-housings, You-Name-It, and, when wet, stuck to the paint like a magnet. You had to be thorough, and I mean VERY thorough, to flood and rinse ALL of it off (which, to get everything, could be very difficult), before doing the regular wash....and automated car-washes could grind the sand-particles into the paint and glass like sandpaper and cause scratching.
The sand and gravel also got kicked up by the tires of vehicles passing you and/or cutting in front of you, and caused damage to your vehicle's paint and trim. I'm more than glad to see it gone.
Nitrogen is another one. Air is 78% nitrogen, makes no difference.
Yeah, I've argued that with him about that till I'm blue in the face. He's convinced, though, that nitrogen doesn't leak like regular air does. And, for whatever reasons, they use nitrogen in racing.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-14-21 at 07:17 PM.
#26
Lexus Fanatic
Anyhow, back to topic, Toyota isn't necessarily alone. A number of manufacturers (and dealerships), partially because of the pandemic, are doing, or experimenting with, home-deliveries.
#27
Lexus Fanatic
I use an automated wash too, but they're not all created equal...
#28
Lexus Fanatic
I don’t understand what is the big issue with buying on line. If that is what someone wants to do, then good for them. More choices for the consumer, the better.
I also don’t understand what is the big hate about dealers. If you don’t want something, then say it..
What I do dislike and find very unattractive are those that just want to squeeze every single dollar out of the dealer so they make no money.
I also don’t understand what is the big hate about dealers. If you don’t want something, then say it..
What I do dislike and find very unattractive are those that just want to squeeze every single dollar out of the dealer so they make no money.
#29
With nitrogen, your tire pressures will remain more constant, saving you a small amount in fuel and tire-maintenance costs. There will be less moisture inside your tires, which means less corrosion on your wheels. However, if your tires were filled with nitrogen (usually denoted by green valve-stem caps) and you’re low on pressure, don’t be afraid to bring up your psi with regular old air.
#30
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
while the dealer tactics and 'incentive' model is pretty distasteful to me, i do have compassion for the poor salesperson trying to provide a living for themselves or their family. i am never about squeezing every dollar our. that said, i'm not walking in and paying what they say like i did with my first car!